Tungiasis in a southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) from Formosa province, Argentina.

Tunga penetrans causes tungiasis, a parasitic disease of humans and domestic animals. In this work we report the presence of tungiasis in the southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) from Formosa, Argentina. An individual of southern tamandua was found dead on the roadside and it presented lesions consisted with neosomes located on its four limbs. We identified neosomes as T. penetrans. Records of T. penetrans in wild mammals acquire relevance because monitoring wildlife could help prevent possible outbreaks of tungiasis and other zoonosis.

A new species of Wellcomia (Nematoda: Oxyuridae) in the plains viscacha (Rodentia: Chinchillidae) from Argentina, an emended diagnosis and an update of the genus Wellcomia.

Wellcomia species (Oxyuridae, Syphaciinae) parasitise several families of rodents from Africa, Asia and America with diverse ecological characteristics. A new species of Wellcomia is described based on specimens obtained from the plains viscacha Lagostomus maximus (Chinchillidae) from Argentina. The description includes morphometric and ecological aspects and an emended diagnosis of the genus Wellcomia. In addition, a molecular characterisation (18S rRNA) and an exploratory analysis of the genetic distances of the species included in this genus are provided. The new species, Wellcomia hugoti n. sp., differs from other species of the genus in the morphology of the cephalic plate, the ventral rugose area in males and the vulva in females. The new species showed a low prevalence (7.7%) and a high mean abundance (73.8). The genetic distances detected do not allow a comprehensive assessment of the monophyly of the genus. This is the seventh record of this genus in rodents from the Americas, the second in rodents from Argentina and the first record for the family Chinchillidae.

Helminth fauna of the screaming hairy armadillo Chaetophractus vellerosus from Argentina: the consequence of host isolation on parasite diversity.

Chaetophractus vellerosus in Argentina has a north-west and central distribution. An isolated population is located in the east of the Buenos Aires province, separated from the population of central Argentina by about 500 km. We compared the component community of C. vellerosus between the main population in central Argentina and the isolated population, evaluating the impact of the host isolation on parasite diversity. Sixteen species of helminths were found, namely Ancylostoma caninum, Aspidodera fasciata, Aspidodera scoleciformis, Mazzia bialata, Pterygodermatites chaetophracti, Pterygodermatites argentinensis, Strongyloides sp., Trichohelix tuberculata, Cruzia tentaculata, Cyclobulura superinae, Delicata ransomi, Macielia jorgei, Moennigia celinae, Orihelia anticlava (Nematoda), Mathevotaenia sp. (Cestoda) and Travassosia sp. (Acanthocephala). Only the first 8 species, however, were present in both populations. Prevalences and intensities of the shared species were similar. The parasite community of the isolated population, however, was less rich and diverse than that of the main population. The poor parasite community in the isolated population could have several causes: the founding population was composed of few specimens that were only infected with the most prevalent parasite species and intermediate hosts for parasites with indirect cycles were absent. In addition, coexistence with another Chlamyphoridae would have contributed to maintaining a group of species that are usual in armadillos along their distribution.

Genetic structuring in a relictual population of screaming hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus) in Argentina revealed by a set of novel microsatellite loci.

The screaming hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus) is a mammal species containing disjunct and isolated populations. In order to assess the effect of habitat fragmentation and geographic isolation, we developed seven new microsatellite loci isolated from low-coverage genome shotgun sequencing data for this species. Among these loci, six microsatellites were found to be polymorphic with 8-26 alleles per locus detected across 69 samples analyzed from a relictual population of the species located in the northeast of the Buenos Aires Province (Argentina). Mean allelic richness and polymorphic information content were 15 and 0.75, with observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.40 to 0.67 and 0.58 to 0.90, respectively. All loci showed departures from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The analysis of population structure in this relictual population revealed three groups of individuals that are genetically differentiated. These newly developed microsatellites will constitute a very useful tool for the estimation of genetic diversity and structure, population dynamics, social structure, parentage and mating system in this little-studied armadillo species. Such genetic data will be particularly helpful for the development of conservation strategies for this isolated population and also for the endangered Bolivian populations previously recognized as a distinct species (Chaetophractus nationi).